The present invention relates generally to an electrolytic cell which is capable of electrochemical production particularly organic electrochemical production, having an electrolyte circulation system designed to prevent sludge buildup within the electrolytic cell compartments. More particularly the present disclosure relates to an improved circulation system for use particularly in a cathode compartment to promote the even flow and distribution of the catholyte along the cathode surface and a jetting action as to reduce sludge buildup within the cathode compartment. Such a system could also readily be used in the anode compartment of an electrolytic cell when an anodic reaction is the desired production reaction to be performed. In every electrolytic cell there will be simultaneously an anodic and a cathode reaction but often only one of these is the desired reaction for electrochemical production. Henceforth, a named reaction is the electrochemical production reaction. In the present invention, the cathode compartment is used for organic electrochemical production of the type for which this particular cell is especially useful. The electrolytic cell itself is a component system made up of more or less planar sections such as an end plate, a cathode, a cathode compartment frame, an anode with an anode compartment frame, a planar separator and a second end plate which are pressed together in sealing engagement with gasketing between the sections to produce an electrolytic cell.
Electrochemical methods of manufacture are becoming ever increasingly important to the chemical industry due to their greater ecological acceptability, potential for energy conservation and the resultant cost reductions possible. Some of the reasons advanced for this possible shift in future chemical production and especially organic chemical production are that electrolytic cells can be generally operated as a closed system, thereby allowing greater control over the escape of by-products or waste products from the electrolytic cell in organic chemical production. Also many fuels are rapidly rising in price thus making electricity a more economical power source for many types of production. This is causing a shift from a great dependence upon fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and oil to the use of electricity which may be more economical in the future due to more nuclear generation. The electrolytic cell promises to be one of the most efficient means of utilizing electricity for the production of many organic compounds as it has been in the past for the production of chlorine and caustic (sodium hydroxide). Since a great deal of the current chlorine and caustic needs are produced in electrolytic cells, much knowhow used in such production can be utilized and transferred over to organic electrochemical production. This may result in electrolytic production methods replacing some of the old thermal processes which are currently in use. Therefore a great deal of research and development effort is being applied to organic electrochemical processes and the hardware for these processes.
With the advent of technological advances such as the dimensionally stable anode and various coating compositions therefor which permit ever narrowing gaps between the electrodes, the electrolytic cell has become more efficient in that the current efficiency is greatly enhanced by the use of these electrodes. Also the hydraulically impermeable membrane has added a great deal to the use of electrolytic cells in terms of the selective migration of various ions across the membrane surface so as to exclude contaminants from the resultant product thereby eliminating some costly purification or concentration second steps of processing.
There are however some special problems associated with organic electrochemical production which were not so much of a problem in the chlorine and caustic industry. Sludge buildup within the electrolytic cell greatly reduces the current efficiency that the electrolytic cell can achieve and thereby reduces its commercial feasibility for organic electrochemical production. Sludge also necessitates more frequent maintenance resulting in more downtime for the production system than is desirable